Five reasons why you feel pain in the heel of my foot

With a big portion of our daily activities we perform in our feet, it is highly important to think about its health and wellness. Even a slight discomfort in the pain can already hamper or delay the accomplishment of certain tasks. Much more, when it poses a debilitating pain that burdens our walking and makes each step a problem. It can affect your posture, mood, and productivity. So this article we will talk about the pain in the heel of my foot.

Each foot is composed of over a hundred of muscles, ligaments and nerves, and 26 bones of which the heel is the biggest. Heel pain has a prevalence rate of 3.6 percent. According to Medical News Today, US studies suggest that 7 percent of older adults report about tenderness under the heel. The importance of understanding the health of the heel is based on the fact that the heel is a specialized body part designed to provide rigid support to body weight and to absorb the impact when walking, running, and other weight-bearing tasks. Pain in the heel of the foot can be disabling for many people depriving them to do their job or tasks continually and without added burden. This is why we created this article to answer some of the most fundamental question regarding heel pain.

The heel of my foot hurts. What does this mean?

Heel pain is quite a common occurrence, although majority of those who experience such pain do not diagnose it. Every time you walk or run, you place a stress on each foot. While they are characterized by strength that they carry a heavy load, overuse or too much stress on the feet may cause pain to your heel. This is in consideration with the heel being a shock absorber. So basically, when your heel is in pain, it could be because of overuse or injury to the bone or tissues in heel. In most cases, heel pain occurs to a single foot alone, but a third of heel pain causes involve both heels.

​

What causes the pain in the heel of my foot?

There are varied possible causes of the pain in the heel of my foot. It could be any of the following conditions.

​Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis or heel spurs is among the more common causes of heel pain. This refers to the inflammation of plantar fascia, which is the ligament that runs from the heel bone to tip of the foot. The inflammation is a result of the overstretching of the soft tissue fibers. Plantar fasciitis brings pain not only to the heel but also in the middle of the foot. This condition occurs frequently to athletes and people who always jog or run. Improper footwear also triggers the same.

​Heel bumps

Another cause of heel pain that is common to teenagers is the heel bump. It is also referred to as pump bump, which is a result of excessive pressure on the heel bone usually against the back of the shoe. When the bone is rubbed excessively, it swells and enlarges. Heel bumps are common among females who are fond of wearing heels even before the bone has matured. People with flat foot have higher chance in developing heel bumps.

​Heel bursitis

Apart from the two aforementioned causes, heel bursitis could also be the culprit to your heel pain. In this case, the bursa, or the fluid-filled fibrous sac, is inflamed under the heel bone. Some people interchange heel bursitis with plantar fasciitis, but while they are related, the two are not identical. As distinguished from the plantar fasciitis, heel bursitis can be felt at the center of the heel. It could be caused by pressure from the footwear or awkward landing on to the heels. The pain is usually aggravated as the day progresses.

​Achilles tendinitis

The degeneration of your Achilles tendon could be causing the pain in the heel of my foot. Under this condition, Achilles tendon, which is the largest tendon in the body that runs along the back of the heel connecting the calf muscles and heel bone, is placed under pressure than what it is can bear. The excessive pressure results to multiple and microscopic tears that weakens, thickens and swells the tendon. Hence, the pain in he heel of the foot.

​Stress fracture

We all know that our feet are prone to stress and pressure especially when we engage our body in high intensity and weight-bearing activities. It is a result of prolonged and repeated pressure to the heel bone. If the fracture is present in the calcaneus, it is expected that you experience tender, swollen, and painful heel. The pain becomes worse when you force yourself to exercise or run. If you repeatedly land on an uneven surface or if you fall from a height in your feet, you are more likely to develop stress fracture in your bones.

​

How do I ease or treat the pain?

There are a couple of ways to ease pain in the heel of my foot and treat the same that you can do by yourself. The right method may vary according to what actually causes such pain.

The fundamental response to address the pain is by giving your feet some rest. Remember that in most cases, the heel pain could be a result of repeated or overuse of the bone and the ligaments or tendons in the heel area. This is why giving your heels some rest will help ease the pain giving them time to recover.

Ice application is likewise a helpful method to reduce inflammation that triggers the pain. Applying ice pack to the affected area for about ten minutes daily will help manage the discomfort.

Use well-fitting shoes with support. We cannot emphasize this enough. The use of proper shoes with the right support is both a remedy and preventive measure. It will assist the foot, especially the heels, in managing and absorbing stress or pressure.

Get in shape. If the pain is intermittent and does not completely go away, losing some weight can help ease the pain.

Over-the-counter medications may also be used to reduce inflammation and to relieve heel pain.

Stretch exercises that do not force your feet thereby aggravating the pain may be done to alleviate and treat the pain.

​

Conclusion

pain in the heel of my foot is a common occurrence. At some point in our lives we will experience such pain. The good thing, however, is that heel pain is generally not life-threatening. In most cases, the pain itself, with enough rest and recovery measures, just goes away after a couple of days. However, in cases where heel pain lasts longer than three weeks, it is advised to head to your doctor and have it checked.